Entries tagged with:
veuveclicquot

Apparently i didn’t even realize i needed a break until i landed in Rio after a long flight from NYC. And immediately we’re surrounded by music, fun, and incredibly happy people everywhere… not to mention endless VeuveClicquot awaiting us at the Santa Teresa Hotel which will be home for the next few nights. Though i’ve only been here for a few hours… take a peek at the lovely room complete with hammock on the patio… and poolside drinks/lunch. The official launch party at the Copacabana is tonight, so i’d best run off and prepare… but had to share the relaxing fun and a peek down at remnants of street parades passing by next to us first! See it on the next page…

Embargoed until a few hours ago ~ it’s been driving me crazy to sit on these pictures from my few hours in Reims, France for lunch a few weeks ago! VeuveClicquot’s Hotel du Marc, which is barely a hotel at all ~ more of a magical guest mansion of sorts in Reims that Veuve Cliquot uses for special occasions ~ has recently finished its restoration/remodel which now includes some lovely themed guest rooms filled with modern art as well as hints of its past! From the beautiful staircase and the Chanel like faceted mirrors, to the Veuve-yellow Smeg and wall of champagne… the ornate chandeliered dining rooms to the modern portraits lining the hallway to the guest rooms… there is so much to take in, but here’s a first peek into their world!

p.s.
you can also catch me in a few reflections rocking the super yellow veuve apron…

I’ve never had an ice bucket in my laptop bag traveling before… though after quite the hectic weekend running around Monterey/Pebble Beach/Carmel with all of the auto madness, it is pretty amazing to pop up to santa cruz, out to the patio, pop open the VeuveClicquot Clicq’up, grab some ice, and pop open a bottle of Yellow Label on the balcony staring down at the beach and bay as you hear the waves crashing, seagulls squawking, and seals honking. I wrote about the Clicq’up Origami Ice Bucket by Mathias van de Walle earlier this year when it launched in Milan, here’s a peek at it in person ~ popped up on the balcony!

We’ve always been big fans of how much our friends at Veuve support design! And we love origami! This year
at the Salone del Mobile, during VeuveClicquot’s Milan Yellow Week, the company will debut their latest design collaboration, Clicq’Up, an origami inspired design object by Belgian designer Mathias van de Walle.

Clicq’Up is the first foldable Champagne bucket and is based on a concept of origami on ice, marrying form and function to create a contemporary, reusable design object that can be folded for easy transportation, set up, and storage. Ultimately, van de Walle’s design creates a playful home for the iconic sleek Yellow Label bottle. See how it unfolds on the next page!

VeuveClicquot always goes all out when it comes to playful designs from collaborations to gift packaging. The latest two are no exception, and the POS displays are just adorable! First there is Le Fridge ~ literally a mini Smeg like retro fridge like cooler box… even cuter of course are the actual mini fridge (what dorm room doesn’t need one?) and the little yellow super market carts and life size cardboard fridge! And on the other end of the spectrum, there is the Shopping Bag ~ with the cutest scaled down bellhop luggage carts, in their signature yellow of course. This tote has a cute print with a luggage tag and contrast stitching… with a magnetic clasp with the comet/logo on it, and glossy paper boxes that resemble retro suitcases! Both lines are so fun, and are available internationally for the holiday season (looks like both have been popping up in stores already!) ~ see more pics of the fun displays and close ups on the next page!

It’s harvest time of year! And the nice folks at VeuveClicquot brought me out to Paris/Reims once again for harvest ~ and blame it on Tasteologie, with food on the mind, i just had to share with you some of the yummier side of laborious grape picking Veuve style! For the look at the whole Harvest process, check out these pics from last year. And this year we had cheeky, chic black Harvest Staff tee shirts ~ most amusing of course was watching how the fashionable crowd immediately took to our limited resources out on the vineyard to start cutting them up with grape cutting shears to personalize them… so browse on to the next page to see a peek at what the food is like throughout the day… a slight twist on what “real” harvesters eat throughout the season…

Thanks to VeuveClicquot, i’m currently curled up on a cloud of a bed here in Paris after a beautiful flight from LA today! Left around 3:45pm got in to Paris around 11am ~ and in between? headed up past vegas/salt lake/etc through canada over greenland/iceland/uk and ended up in paris… and so many gorgeous views… lots of dramatically lit mountains, even flew over some pretty crazy fires, gorgeous scottish/british countryside, french coast… and glowingly red clouds… nothing like a flight to remind you how little all your emails and errands and life is ~ floating above the clouds really throws things back in perspective! Take a peek at some of my favorite views in this latest addition to Operation Window Seat on the next page!

Ahhh, Veuve Cliquot ~ they’ve become one of my design week staples around the world ~ that shade of Veuve yellow is starting to feel synonymous with inspiration, i guess they’ve trained me well! For the salone 2010, they’ve launched two new designer collaborations in their Clicquotsphere. The first is The Tasting Gloriette with the Campana Brothers (a playful modern twist on the gazebo of sorts, using coiled thin metal to mimick and overgrowth of champagne vines on a bent wood base… resulting burning man yurt style contraption to relax under and a central nest cradling a champagne bucket). The second is “Once Upon A Dream” by Mathieu Lehanneur ~ a retro futuristic looking bed ~ that is SO much more than a bed. It’s more of a luxury sleep experience created to help you get the best rest physically possible, optimized for jetlag recovery ~ through special lighting, white noise balancing, ideal temperatures, and curtains to create that womb like effect… there is even a plant hanging beside you which is used to control the lighting (coolest living light switch?) ~ and its even designed in conjunction with sleep scientists! Sadly, the best sleep is apparently alone, so this bed is just for resting! Both of these pieces will be installed in the VeuveClicquot Hotel du Marc which is opening in spring 2011 (and it’s not a hotel at all, so much as their super guest house in Reims)… and in full VeuveClicquot fashion ~ the champagne never stopped, the music was fun, the food was delicious, and they had unexpected surprises like keys you could try your luck to unlocking prizes… and even a special mailbox where you could write postcards which they will mail from Reims! See lots of pics on the next page…

Some packages just leave you speechless. You sit. You stare. You open it. You poke at it. You close it. You stare a bit more. This was one of those packages. VeuveClicquot sent over one of their 1200 limited edition stingray skin Yellowboams (there are 3600 in the edition, 1200 each of ostrich, alligator, and stingray) ~ yes, a 3L (4 bottle equiv) bottle of Yellow Label Champagne... in a stunning handcrafted metallic lacquered wood box (with adorable little round hinges and magnetic closure) ~ with a stand for the monstrously large bottle... and the bottle itself has a yellow label made from ostrich, alligator, or galuchat, sealed with 22.4 ct gold and a 24 ct plated muzzle engraved with Mme. Clicquot's signature. A little over the top, in a completely surreal, "how is this enormous bottle sitting on my counter right now, and how amazing is this paint job?" sort of way. Next question of course was, "How will we ever pour this? Or chill it? And who will have to come help drink it?"

So take a peek at more pictures on the next page ~ once you get past the extravagance, it's really one of the sweetest most unexpected gifts to arrive, so, thank you, VeuveClicquot. And don't worry i will certainly document it when i open it... i'm terribly curious what is under that golden muzzle... and the adorable notebook that was included mentions that you can send in the leather label to have it turned into a card holder... intriguing...

"Inspired by the comet logo and created by Design Research Studio under the creative direction of Tom Dixon, VeuveClicquot presents The Comet. The Comet is a natural evolution of Tom's original creation the Comet Lamp." (Which we gave away to a luck reader earlier!) I've always loved geodesic structures, and to have this large igloo like cave of a space in that vibrant Veuve yellow ~ and filled with perfectly stacked bottles of champagne... it was just a delightful space! Also unmissable from afar as you wonder what the bizarre yellow structures are as you enter from the bridge...

I suppose i shouldn't be too surprised to find myself coming from the history and source of VeuveClicquot having just participated in harvest, only to be mesmerized and inspired once again by their design collaborations... on random thoughts, these comet structures would make for a very cool fort if i was still a kid... or maybe a sanctuary or work space? tree house? Unfortunately there weren't really any kids at the VIP event, but i bet they would have made for some adorable pictures! See lots of pics of the structures and some other Veuve details on the next page!

Ok on aspects of this trip that i shamelessy geeked out on... did you know that's how champagne corks start? Before they get mushroomed? And the machine that mushroomifies them and puts the cage on is really cool? (Cool enough i had to make a video to share with you of course!) Also, there was definitely a warm fuzzy feeling that overcame me as VeuveClicquot brought us to visit a tiny (relatively speaking!) grand cru champagne maker ~ Gatinois, a family-run business located in Aÿ since 1696, at the foot of the Montagne de Reims. While they have been selling half their crop to neighbor, Bollinger, they are producing more and more of their own label. It was infectious how passionate Pierre Cheval-Gatinois was as he shared his company's story and history and process with us (his son is starting to step in as the 12th generation!)... perhaps the biggest contrast was visiting his cellars compared to les creyeres of VeuveClicquot... the shift in scale was amazing, and you must check out the exposed wires running the lighting (to fry yourself, just reach up and grab one in each hand)... Oh, and also, the amber blush tone of the champagne is gorgeous and it is extremely delicious... but unfortunately it they don't have a distributor in LA! Anyhow, on the next page you can see lots of pics, and the video of how the corks transform to magically to the mushrooms we associate with champagne!

VeuveClicquot was generous enough to bring me to Reims again this year to join their intimate harvest festivities (read: honored they let me come do a day of manual labor with their friends/family). I kid you not. I spent half a day in the beautiful hot champagne region sun from the break of dawn fighting jetlag clipping grapes and working my way through the rows while chatting with friends old and new. So there you have it, my excuse for why posts slowed down and got so quiet. Also minimal wifi. But really, it turns out that the best way to slow me down is tire me out! Because i certainly had no problem running around, drinking late, and still posting before bed on the last trip...

So on the next page you can take a look at my experience from sunrise to learning how to pick grapes, to wine breaks (at 9am!), to crating the grapes away, to seeing them pressed... all the missing steps from last year... it's fascinating really to see what happens between the fresh grapes and the bottling to spend time in les crayeres. And we were back at the Verzy country estate which has some of the finest grapes behind it ~ the grapes we picked will be in the 2019 VeuveClicquot La Grand Dame if we're lucky, so far they are saying it is a phenomenal harvest! And if nothing else, they've at lease guaranteed that i will have to purchase a bottle (or case!) just to see where my grapes went! So see the process first hand on the next page!

It was a gorgeous day in NY to take the VIP ferry out to Governor's Island for my first official polo match/picnic. Granted this was no ordinary day in the park ~ since there was much buzz with Prince Harry playing, Marc Jacobs and Madonna wandering around, and never ending VeuveClicquot flowing at the second annual VeuveClicquot Manhattan Polo Classic. The views were absolutely stunning ~ the manhattan skyline peeking out from behind the game, endless smatterings Pantone 137c between the lush green grass and perfectly clouded blue skies, and amusing people watching with lots of "daring hats" as requested. Take a peek at the experience on the next page...

Firstly, oh yes, i will probably be that girl at the supermarket rocking the metallic bronzey Tom Dixon tote in line... with my random magazines staying dry from wet goods and showing off the title perfectly in its exterior pocket ~ clearly made FOR that reason! You will suddenly know exactly what mood i'm in... artsy, businessy, car-y, fashiony?

But seriously ~ how can anyone resist these parties in empty Soho condos on GORGEOUS days with never ending VeuveClicquot flowing ~ Tom Dixon lighting and furnishings surrounding you ~ and nearly 360 skyline views to stare out at? Dwell hosted a great party! Met some really cool folks ~ and yes... i'm impressed with their very trendy tote. Also see the sweet grassy kid friendly rooftop i spotted as well as many water towers... and all the Tom Dixon goodies on the next page!

Have you ever found yourself mesmerized by a curvature? A silhouette? Just stuck in your mind, and you could stare at it for ages? And it doesn't help that as you stare at it you can't help but sip it as well? Well there's something so beautiful about the VeuveClicquot Yellow Label and La Grande Dame champagne glasses that i've been obsessing about since that trip to paris with them last year... It actually had me paying much closer to attention to both champagne and champagne glasses, since. You'll see what i mean in the many pictures on the next page... there's a comparison of some of the various champagne glasses rounded up from holiday gift boxes...

... also further indulging my curiosity about the origins of Champagne Glasses, the VeuveClicquot historian was kind enough to put together some information on their background as well as some gorgeous visuals - from vintage Veuve ads ~ to scans from their library to take a look at what types of champagne glass styles exist and how they have evolved over the years.

PART I: WIN 1 of the 500 limited edition Tom Dixon Comet Lamps for VeuveClicquot. (side note: i'm already jealous of you, whoever you are that will win.) For a chance to win one, you have until Tues APRIL 28th midnight PST to leave a comment telling us about your first time.... with champagne ~ and we'll pick one winner randomly (but you have to tell us about your first sip, or first bottle, or... well, you tell me!)

PART II: VeuveClicquot Out of the Box launch in Milan ~ although i wasn't able to be there and take pics my way, VC was kind enough to send some pretty fun ones over, that seemed worth sharing! The space looks awesome, and they have some great shots of the designers with their respective launch pieces. Great to get a chance to see what they look like in reality (versus the renders we first saw). So take a peek at those on the next page...

Ooooh a behind the scenes look at the work of Florence Deygas for VeuveClicquot. Deygas is also the creator of the adorable Caprino & Peperone, those two doggies that are the Colette mascots!!! I love the beauty and simplicity of her brushstroke paintings ~ and it's no surprise that she's collaborated with VeuveClicquot so many times. (Here's a peek at an installation video she did with them in 2007 ~ where her work looks nearly like lipstick on floor to ceiling windows illustrating the skyline below... See the video!) She has also collaborated with brands such as Fendi, Yves Sain Laurent, Nokia, Vogue and Lacoste.

I was initially torn to have so many VeuveClicquot related postings back to back ~ but realized i feel like i've found a kindred spirit in the VC brand ~ and their collaborations and support of incredible artists and designers consistently has proven incredibly inspiring time and time again. As far as brands go, i suppose i'd love to have NOTCOT take a similar route someday, finding new ways to not only help share incredible works we discover, but also help inspire, support, and collaborate with artists and designers we love! But until then... click through to the next page and see more of this latest collaboration between Florence Deygas and VeuveClicquot, as well as a peek at the artist at work!

VeuveClicquot is presenting Out of the Box at the Milano Salone del Mobile 2009 ~ and NOTCOT has a first peek at the goodies being shown! Their new DesignBox is an eco-friendly gift box ~ which they've put into the hands of Tom Dixon, Front Design, and 5.5 Designers to see what it inspired in them. These three collaborations come together at the SuperStudio Piu exhibition along with the Domus Academy (my alma mater!) Master in Design projects on Via Tortona, 27 from April 22nd through 27th.

Above you can see renderings of Couch by Front Design, Lamp by Tom Dixon, and Cellar by 5.5 Designers. And on exciting news if you're in milan... only 500 of Tom Dixon's lamp have been produced and on day of the event 490 lamps (which are limited edition) will be made available to guests in Milan on a first-come first served basis!!! But for now, check out larger images and more info on the next page!

p.s.
Will you be in Milan? Have some great photography skills and an obsession for design? I won't be making it out this year, but some eyes and ears over there to help cover some events might be fun...

p.p.s
i love that hexagon logo shaped hole on the side of the box that says PUSH.

Here's another one from the plethora of pics that have been waiting to become posts ~ while traveling with VeuveClicquot in Reims, we had a special tour in the VCP Maison de Patrimoine (think: amazing archives of the history of Veuve since the 1800's in one room) by Fabienne Huttaux, the Historical Resource Manager. And amongst the many things she showed us (like the originals of the first shipment ever made, which was to Venice, and the first invoice to the USA, including some as movie props...) ~ i was most fascinated by the evolution of the labels! With full white glove treatment, we were shown this little book that housed every label variation since the beginning, long before the signature yellow label was even yellow... personally my favorites are the oldest ones, with elephants from the trading company logos distributing them. In addition to label imagery, you can also get a peek at the shelves and shelves of resources, as well as closer looks at some of the documents i mentioned, the typography not only on the documents but the spines of the archives were stunning, and make me wish we were still trained as thoroughly to have perfect cursive handwriting.

While recollecting my thoughts and trying to take a bit of a break ~ i've also found myself cleaning up my computer, and while doing so, discovered a lot of posts in the making... that never quite made it! So here's some more catch up. I spent most of yesterday running around LA (and the outskirts) hunting and researching for the house i'm working on (under construction! i get to move in soon!) ~ and in doing so, finding myself thinking about so many details i hadn't paid such careful attention to before, and things that reminded me about the Manoir de Verzy ~ the Country House of Madame VeuveClicquot that we visited, and i'm ashamed that i hadn't gotten these pictures up for you sooner!

There were so many fascinating details to this house and its gardens and being able to visit the actual vineyards ~ consider this a photo essay of sorts taking you through some of my most memorable images while there. This house is where we learned about vintages (even tasting our birth years! mine was a delicious vintage in '82) and Dégorgement à la volée in the Vieux Pressoir with Cyril Brun, the wine communications head and wine maker ~ followed by aperitif and specially crafted, perfectly paired lunch with Stéphane Gerschel - International Communications Director, Andrea Crippa - International Marketing Director, Cyril Brun, Felix Bocquet - Quality and Environment Director, followed by a walk through the vineyards with the VeuveClicquot Vineyards director, Christian Renard. (All before taking off to our surprise helicopter ride!). It was at this lunch that Andrea gave us that sneak peek of the Ice Cube and i showed you some of the tile i loved. Anyhow, so on house shopping, and all the little details that make a house a home, take a peek at some of the quarters where VIPs stay with VeuveClicquot, and the beautifully inspiring views across the vineyard on the next page!

Merci beaucoup, VeuveClicquot ~ who loves design as much as we do, and brought me to Paris to cover Maison et Objet 2008! More design discoveries to come... and i am just freshly back in LA... already!

"Slow tech > hall 3 Conception: François Bernard. Less speed for better living. François Bernard suggests taking a break in a dematerialized world. Soft, fluid technologies revisit naturalness and a simplified life philosophy. Style is also inspired by the industrial aesthetics of last century's designer-engineers. Heavy, peaceful forms cultivate a solid, reassuring elegance. The house is taking on depth and weight, worlds away from the ready-to-discard."

Merci beaucoup, VeuveClicquot ~ who loves design as much as we do, and brought me to Paris to cover Maison et Objet 2008! More design discoveries to come... and i am just freshly back in LA... already!

"Les Métropuritains > hall 2 Conception: NellyRodi style agency. Get in line for eco-survival. The NellyRodi style agency reveals the Metropuritans' new acts of resistance. Camouflaged in an apparently elegant starkness, these ecological urbanites proclaim a desire for asceticism and an almost military rigor. These militants of a healthy life ecology are activating utopias of survival and a frugality tinged with sensuality. A radically simple manifesto."

Merci beaucoup, VeuveClicquot ~ who loves design as much as we do, and brought me to Paris to cover Maison et Objet 2008! More design discoveries to come... and i am just freshly back in LA... already!

"Farmlife > hall 1 Conception: Elizabeth Leriche. Back to solid ground. Elizabeth Leriche is preparing the soil for a new agri-culture. The simple pleasures of rural life are reviving a belief in local produce and setting down roots. In a period of galloping urbanization, a rustic style is becoming deeply rooted. People are discovering the animal and organic beauty of the agricultural world. Objects with roots cultivate the appealing authenticity of raw materials and craftsmanship."

Merci beaucoup, VeuveClicquot ~ who loves design as much as we do, and brought me to Paris to cover Maison et Objet 2008! More design discoveries to come... and i am just freshly back in LA... already!

Ok one post series i've been needing to catch up on, but somehow hadn't had time to get through cleaning up the many pictures... Maison et Objet: Simple! Incredible micro-exhibition spread between three even tinier exhibition spaces which were placed at the front of 3 of the 6 massive Maison et Object halls in Paris. Really the concept is fabulous because there is absolutely no way to cover every single booth of every single hall in such a monstrous convention center and stay sane ~ what they did were pick three curator/designers, each given a theme (overall theme SIMPLE, micro themes: Farmlife, Les Métropuritains, Slow Tech) ~ and give them a space to design around the theme and showcase the best products from the show with in them. The results were three engaging and unique browsing experiences that you really have to see the images to get a feel for. in the next three posts i'll give you a look at each of them!

ATYPYK! With their playfully edgy line of products that never cease to amuse, the french design duo of ATYPYK are just as fun in person! On booths i was totally giddy to see at Maison + Objet, this was high on the list, and they did not disappoint! Such a fun booth display, both designers dressed in strikingly blue suits, and exciting new products for fall... my favorite being the mustache pencils! For those of us who have commitment issues (or decision making issues) to tattooing our mustaches on our fingers... these are the perfect way to switch them up with each mood.

Also noteworthy ~ their placemat like stack of product catalog one sheets... everything new playfully collaged in black and white on one side, and the back has all the current products... really, it just screams to be colored on. So take a peek at the pics on the next page to get an overview of all the goodies!

Merci beaucoup, VeuveClicquot ~ who loves design as much as we do, and brought me to Paris to cover Maison et Objet 2008! More design discoveries to come... and i am just freshly back in LA... already!